Martin Scorsese to Present the 44th Annual Chaplin Award to Robert De Niro

On May 8, the Film Society of Lincoln Center continues its 44-year tradition of honoring a significant figure in film at the Chaplin Award Gala with two-time Academy Award-winner Robert De Niro. And who better to present this award to De Niro than legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who has collaborated on eight films with the actor, ever since Mean Streets in 1973? Tickets are on sale now!

The evening’s star-studded lineup will also include Meryl Streep, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Stiller, Barry Levinson, and Harvey Keitel, with more to be announced at a later date. The annual event, attended by a host of notable guests and presenters, will include movie and interview clips, culminating in the presentation of the Chaplin Award to De Niro by Scorsese. Streep and Scorsese are both previous recipients of the Chaplin Award—the 35th and 25th, respectively.

The Gala celebrates all the facets of De Niro’s remarkable career in cinema, including his amazing array of performances, which have resulted in some of the most memorable characters committed to film; his status as an unparalleled figure of New York film and culture; and his championing of independent film through the Tribeca Film Festival and Tribeca Film Institute.

In addition, on the occasion of the Gala, the Film Society will present a weeklong tribute celebrating some of De Niro’s most iconic roles, April 12-19. Among the 12 films featured in the series are many of his collaborations with Scorsese, including Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Casino, and more. The complete lineup will be announced next month.

The Film Society’s Annual Gala began in 1972 when it honored Charlie Chaplin, who returned to the U.S. from exile to accept the commendation. The award was then renamed for Chaplin and has been presented to many of the film industry’s most notable talents, including Scorsese, Streep, Alfred Hitchcock, Billy Wilder, Laurence Olivier, Federico Fellini, Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, James Stewart, Robert Altman, Diane Keaton, Tom Hanks, Sidney Poitier, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, and, last year, Morgan Freeman.

The annual Chaplin Award Gala is the Film Society’s largest fundraising event, helping to support the organization’s ongoing work in education, artist development, and cross-cultural film outreach. Support for the 44th Chaplin Award Gala is generously provided by VDKA 6100.